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Carizozo    Carizozo, NM will be my last stop, before Trinity. This is your basic little crossroads town. It is the closest town, of any size, east of Trinity.  The town seems to have fallen on to hard times, though I can not figure out why. It reminds me of many of the little towns along old Route 66, which died or greatly contracted after the road was closed; but no road has closed or been bypassed here. I stopped here, early, after traveling north and west from Roswell. The idea was to loaf around all day, rest up, pack up, and get to sleep early, so that I could get an early and well rested start the next day. I would head off to Trinity around six, and then start the journey back home.  Above: The crossroads at Carizozo. This is the modern part of town, with gas stations, food, and a motel, serving the highway. Left: This interesting old adobe house has been converted into a local cafe. Below: Heading downtown, to the main section of town. Left: Eat and Drink seems to be an interesting name for a restaurant. Apparently, it was not interesting enough to attract a steady business. Below: These photos, and the street on which they were taken, put me in mind of the movie The Last Picture Show. It was probably not much past six; but everything that was not out of business was closed for the day, except for those which catered to the trade at the highway. A shame really, because I love eating in little local places. An old fashioned ice cream parlor, and tourist shop. The original section of the building, facing the street, appears to be quite old, probably dating from old cowboy and ranching days. Left: A desert planter, in a safety isle in what is probably pretty near the center of Carizozo. Below: A local eatery with mountains and leaden clouds. A local keeping busy downtown. This appears to have been a much larger town, at one time; but I can't think of what might have happened. I can only agree wholeheartedly, with the sentiments expresses here. The people of the West are my kind of people. Everywhere you look, there are the ever present mountains. Only the heat is more all encompassing. A look up a residential street indicates that Carizozo is not exactly a wealthy town. There seems to be no manufacturing, and little in the way of ranching around here. I can't think what keeps the place alive, unless it is the highway The cafe, also closed for the day. I am hungry, and had wandered through town, hoping to find some local food, local color, and local company. Mountains loom in the background, as they do in most of this part of the country. The highway to Trinity, along with my motel, is right over this hill. The town visitor's center is this converted caboose. Sadly, it was closed by the time I thought to visit. My hotel as the shadows begin to grow long. It is time to get settled in, relax, prepare for the day ahead, and get some sleep. Elsie's sat right across the parking lot from my crossroads motel. The food was great, and the company was good. I left happy, and full, after telling the cook, who happened to be the owner, about my trip. My burger at Elsie's This is the very definition of road food. In recognition of where we were, the burger had peppers, and Mexican spices. It was great. My last night before heading home. The motel, the highway, and the little town are all asleep and quiet. Unfortunately, I will be up far too late, watching cable. By an unfortunate coincidence, the move "Them" will be showing. It is a fifties science fiction movie about a nest of ants too near the Trinity explosion. The radiation from the blast turns them all into giants. considering where I was, and what I was doing, I had no choice. I had to stay up late and watch it. Back to Roads Forward